General Question

Should i transfer to an All-Boys school or not?

I’ve recently moved from America to New Zealand and i go to Mt. Roskill Grammar school right now. It’s an average school, but nothing compared to the school i went to in America. I’m having a hard time getting used to the Education System and making friends is an issue too, people just act differently here…
But now i’ve got the option to go to a better school Education-wise, because this all boys school (Auckland boys grammar) runs on a system similar to America’s (Cambridge International Examinations) but i dont like the fact that it’s an all boys school.
I’ve grown up with co-ed schools, and also get along better with girls so i REALLY don’t like that idea, but the Education would be so much better there. I’m going into year 12 next year by the way, So just 2 more years of school for me (school is 13 years here)

11 Answers

That’s a tough decision and one only you can make as I am sure you know. I think being challenged educationally for the next two years would be a big plus to you life-long and the opportunity should not be turned down lightly. Of course, a satisfying social life is also of value. Have you become friends with any people at the first school who might stay friends with you even if you transfer? Are there ways for people in the all boys’ school to meet girls? Maybe there is a sister school that they hang out with?

Would it be possible for you to spend a day at the grammar school, or at least talk candidly to some of the students, before deciding? If you can make yourself comfortable with the idea of attending it for the next two years, I think it could be very advantageous. My husband went to a boys’ grammar school in England and got a great educational foundation that helped him move on to university. Maybe there are other ways you can meet and befriend girls? He was very active in a church youth group – not so much for the religion but for the…girls.

Is there a shadowing program, where you might be able to follow someone at the all boys school for a day or two? I know we have it here and it might give you an honest sample of what it would be like going there.

I second @Buttonstc in that it will make a huge difference in your life to have a better education right now. You will make lifelong friends and will also have a big advantage in college. (If you are concerned about girls I do not know about your area but in California in our area the boys attending all-boy schools are considered hawt!)

I went to sexually segregated schools from year 9 thru undergrad. I would never have sent a child of mine to one. They may be superior academically (in some cases) but that is a small part of life in the real world. Learning how to work side by side with and deal with interactions with the opposite sex, in the context of having them as your peers and as your boss, as in teachers, is a necessary skill for survival.

A high school diploma is a high school diploma. In most cases having one from this school as opposed to that school is going to get you a better job or into a better college as long as your marks are adequate.

I spent the vast majority of my education in co-ed schools but then during high school we had to move from hawaii to phoenix. At the time I was taking Japanese and there wasn’t a public high school that had Japanese. However there was an all-girls’ catholic college prep high school that offered japanese through their brother school. So I chose the private school to keep studying Japanese. my education was more important to me at the time and i just viewed it as plenty of time to socialize with boys later. i already knew how to socialize with them from being in public school. at this point I would put education first especially if you plan on going to college.